Automatic gravity-stop for phonographs



W. R. WHETSEL.

AUTOMATIC GRAVITY STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.28. 1920.

Patented June 14, 1921.

INVENTOR War-2 A. PMS 7351 ATTORNEYS WALTER R. WI-IE'ISEL,

PATENT OFFICE.

on RICHMOND,

INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC GRAVITY-STOP FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 14:, 1921.

Application filed August 28, 1920. Serial No. 406,631.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. Wrinrsnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Richmond, county of Wayne, and State of Indiana, have invented acertain new and useful Automatic Gravity-Stop for Phonographs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

This invention relates to an automatic gravity stop for phonographs whereby the needle will be 'elevated from contact with the record, and a friction brake applied for stopping the'revolution thereof, upon said needle reaching the end of the groove.

The main feature of this invention resides in the simple and compact mechanism for accomplishing these results which may be easily attached to the usual type of reproducer or tone arm disks, or constructed therein.

Another feature of the invention lies in the construction of the attachment whereby it will cause a brake to be applied to the record for discontinuing the revolution thereof, upon the needle reaching the inner end of the sound producing groove, or the inner circle'formed thereby, and the means for elevating the needle from contact therewith upon the application of the friction. brake, whereby the sound reproducer will be supported so as to relieve the strain on the stylus.

Another featureof the invention relates to the positioning of the handle for elevating thereproducer'and needle of the ordinary type,,whereby upon raising the same the stop mechanism will be set in adjustment for the playing of the record andready to act in the manner above described upon the needle reaching the end thereof.

The full nature of this invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention mounted on a sound reproducing disk for phonographs. Fig. 2 is the same as Fig. 1 showing a side elevation thereof with the needle in operative engagement with the with the brake removed. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a cross section through the record illustrating the relative positions of the needle and operating finger. Fig. 6 is la rcrgzss section taken on the line 66 0 nthe drawings there is shown a reproducer dlaphragm 10 for phonographs of the usual construction having an annular metal casmg 11 a central pin 12, a stylus 13 secured to the plate 14, upon which is secured the needle holder 15 and needle 16. The stop mechanism, as here illustrated, may be secured to the side of the reproducer by means 'of the screw 17 or in any other desired manner, for instance by means of a clamp. The device is mounted on the lower portion of the reproducer, as shown herein, and consists of a plate 18, which is securely fixed to said reproducer by means of the screw 17, upon which is pivoted an arm 19, pivoted thereto at 20 and held under tension in downward position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, by the spring 21. The portion 22 of said arm is composed of very fine spring steel, whereas the remaining portion of the arm has an appreciable thickness. The forward or outer end of said arm is provided with an engag ing finger 23 adapted to engage and ride upon the grooves of the record 24:. The engaging finger may be formed of any suitable material which will withstand wear, and at the same time be soft enough not to affect the groove of the record, such as fiber or ivory. The arm 19 is rigidly secured at its pivot point to the upper arm 25 which extends only to the forward annular portion 26' of the plate 18 and is used for the purpose of elevating the arm 19 upwardly for elevating the finger 23' outof engagement with the record.

Pivotally mounted on the portion 26 of the plate 18 at the point 27 there is an annular metal disk 28 having an appreciable weight, and provided with an annular "rubber ring 29 of considerably larger diameter. The metal disk 28 is pivotally mounted at 27. eccentrically thereof by the screw 30 and is provided with a handle 31 extending out wardly therefrom. The under side of the disk is provided with the pins 32 and 33, the pin 32 extending inwardly flush with the enlarged portionof the plate 18 and positioned to engage the arm 25, whereas the pin 33 extends only a portion of the way in, as shown in Fig. 4:, so as to engage only on the the needle 16, whereby the needle may be placed in any desired position without interference from said finger. Upon setting the needle in its proper position the handle is released and the disk, because of its eccentric mounting, drops down until the pin 33 engages and rests upon the arm 19. This movement of the disk releases the arm 25 and permits it, together-with the arm 18,

to drop down so that the finger 23 rests by gravity upon the record. The finger 28, being provided with a toothed edge, engages inthe grooves of the record in a given position relative tothe needle 16, and follows 7 along as the record is played infixedrelative position thereto. During the playing of the record, the arm 19 is in its normal position or sprung slightly away from the plate 18 and, therefore, supports the disk 28 in its substantially elevated position.

Upon the needle 16 ariving" at the end of the record or the last annular groove, it is held within the radial circle of the last groove, but the finger 23 continues to approach the center, caused by the spirally disposed grooves of-the record and, therefore, approaches nearer to the needle 16,

causing the arm 19 to be sprung inwardly toward and adjacent to the plate 18 and the reproducer 10. Upon this movement of thearm 19, the'pin 33 is disengaged, which permits the disk 28 to drop by gravity about itseccentric pivot 80' on to the surface of the record; The annular rubber portion 29 engaging the surface oftherecord frictionally imparts a brake thereto, and the motion of the record causes thedisk to be carried farther around its pivot point so that it elevates the entire reproducer 10, needle 16 and point 23 from the record. The attachment then remains in this position, removing the needle from the record and applying a sufficient brake thereto to stop the motor and hold it until it is again elevated as above described. 7

The foregoing is a detailed description of the construction and operation of the attachment shown herein. However, it is to be understood that various departures may be made from this construction and remain within the scope of this invention. This device may also be applied to the reproducer or tone arm having the mechaof, or by clam ing the same in some suitable manner. owever, it is immaterial to this invention in what manner it is applied.

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record, including a sound reproducing medium adapted to engage said. record, a brake member eccentrically pivoted on said medium, an arm pivoted at one end and provided with a finger on the other end adapted to engage and be guided by said grooves, andmeans for? normally holding said brake in elevated position, so arranged that upon the arresting of the movement of said medium by the last groove and the continued inward movement of said finger caused by said grooves, said arm will be moved out of normal position for permitting said holding means to release said brake and permit it to frictionally engage the. surface of said recordandprevent the further movement thereof, said brake being so pivoted that the inertiaof said record will cause said brake to elevate the needle and finger from the surface thereof.

2. A. device for arresting the, playing of V a phonograph record, including a sound reproducing medium adapted to follow the grooves in said record, a brake member pivoted on said medium, an arm pivoted at one end and provided with a finger on the other end adapted to follow said grooves, and

a single means for elevating said medium from the record and latching said brake memberin elevated position upon said medium being reset upon the record. p

3. A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record, including a sound reproducing medium adapted to follow the grooves in said record, a brake member-pivoted on said medium, an arm pivoted at one end and provided with a finger on the other end adapted to follow said grooves, means on saidbrake member for causing said arm and finger to be elevated higher than the point of said medium for permitting the positioning of said medium upon said reoord, and means for latchingsaid brake in non-engaging position upon the resetting of said medium on said record.

a. A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record, including a sound reproducer, a needle on said reproducer for engaging the grooves in the record, a plate member secured to said disk, an arm pivoted at one end to said plate member andhaving an engaging finger on the other end for engaging and following the grooves in said record, an elevating member rigidly secured to said arm, a friction disk eccentrically pivoted to said plate having a handle thereon, a pin on said disk in position to engage said elevating member and elevate said finger above the needle point'uponthe elevation of the reproducing disk by said handle, and a pin on said friction disk ada ted to rest upon said arm for holding it in e evated position whereby the inward movement of said arm caused by said needle reaching the end of the groove and the continued inward movement of said finger engaging said groove, said pin will become disengaged by said arm and permit said friction disk to drop by gravity upon the surface of said record and frictionally engage therewith, the inertia of said record carrying said disk forward so as to cause the elevation of said needle and finger from the surface thereof by the eccentric pivot point.

5. A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record, including a sound reproducing medium adapted to follow the grooves in said record, a circular friction disk eccentrically pivoted on said medium, means for latching said disk in elevated position with respect to said record, and means actuated by the grooves in said record for releasing said disk upon the end of the record being reached, whereb said disk will drop about its eccentric plvot point on to the surface of said disk and arrest the movement thereof.

6. A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record, including a sound reproducing medium adapted to follow the grooves in said record, a brake member pivoted on saidmedium, means for rendering said brake member operative for arresting the movement of said record upon reaching the end thereof, and a handle mounted on said brake member for elevating said member and medium from engagement with said record and simultaneously latching said brake member in inoperative position.

7 A device for arresting the playing of a phonograph record including a sound reproducing medium adapted to follow the grooves in said record, a plate secured to said medium, a circular friction disk eccentrically pivoted to said plate in position to engage said record and arrest the movement of said record, an arm pivoted at one end of said plate and provided with a groove engaging finger at the other end, latching means on said disk adapted to be engaged by said arm and maintain said disk in elevated position over said record, whereby the lateral movement of said arm with respect to said medium caused by said finger reaching the end of said record will permit the unlatching of said disk, whereby it will fall into arresting engagement with said record.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aifixed my signature.

WALTER R. WHE'DSEL. 

